As mentioned, the kids and I heading out on a half-cross-country trek
from California to Oklahoma. I thought it might be easier to update the
blog on a regular basis if I could post by email so I’m trying to get
that set up. If this post looks alright you will know I have been
successful.

We’re leaving San Diego early Monday morning and will head northeast. I
plan to spend a bit of time in the Mojave desert. I’m not sure how much
there is to see, but we’ve never seen the desert before so I thought
we’d just explore a bit.

We’re planning to spend the night in Las Vegas at the Circus Circus
hotel. I just booked it through Expedia.com. The cheapest was $35 a
night, but I opted to spend $40 so we could be in the towers where
everything is happening rather than away in the motor lodge. My husband
and I were married in Vegas almost nine years ago so I thought I would
drive the kids by the Little White Chapel where it all took place.

Next we’ll head to Flagstaff, Arizona and then head off east down I-40.
I’d like to stop to see the Meteor Crater. It would tie in nicely with
our study of astrology. I have packed all our astrology books and while
in the boonies of Oklahoma, away from the glare of city lights the stars
are so much bright and I figure the best time to study the stars. We may
even throw a blanket on the ground and sleep directly under the stars.
So, I would like to see Meteor Crater, but is it really $12 adults and
$6 per kid to get in? Yikes! That seems extreme. Does anyone know if
there is much more to see than just a giant hole in the ground?

I’m hoping we can make it to New Mexico by about the second night, but
I’m not making reservations at any hotels just in case we don’t. And I
don’t have anything else planned after Flagstaff. I plan to get online
tonight and do a bit more searching for things to do.

It’s that time of year . . . the back-to-school frenzy is at its peak. Hurried mothers everywhere scramble to get things ready. There is so much to do. . . . and I am missing it all. Hehe! Such is the life of the homeschooling mom. Yet another benefit to be added to the growing list.

We have not been homeschooling long. My three children are all six years old. (Twins plus a single who will soon be seven.) All three are entering First Grade this year after spending Kindergarten at home last year. I understand this is not the perfect option for every family, but it is definitely working for us.

I love having the kids home with me and it is such a joy to learn as they learn. This year we are going to focus heavily on science. First Grade is not typically the place for much science discussion, but there you have it, one of the benefits of homeschooling. Nothing needs to by typical. Children, as well as adults, learn best when learning about something in which they have high interest.

All three of my children are extremely inquisitive about everything. They ask tons of questions, and I try to answer every single one. This is never more apparent than when they have me trapped behind the wheel of a car. It is a family joke, that once I get behind the wheel of a car they have trapped me and they know it. Often it is in the car, when I am bombarded with one question after another. (And we’re leaving Monday on a three day trek from California to Oklahoma to see my mom. I will be exhausted by the time I get there.) Obviously, I can’t know all the answers. Do ants have toes? I don’t know, but we can look it up.

Of course we’ll throw in some reading, writing and arithmetic this school year as well. (Science can’t hardly be done without it.) But the main focus I’ve decided will be as much hands-on science as I can throw at them. To do anything else I feel would be to miss a grand opportunity to snag their interest in this area while I can.

Yesterday our bunny rabbit chewed through the power cord to my laptop. (He’s fine by the way.) This incident, of course, turned into an opportunity to discuss how to safely repair the cord, the dangers of electricity, how electricity works, how electricity was discovered, how electricity is used, how grounding must have kept the bunny from being electrocuted, etc. My three normally rambunctious youngsters sat on the floor helping me as I worked to repair the cord hanging on my every word, as if spellbound. And they will still be talking about it tomorrow and probably coming up with questions throughout the three day trip to Oklahoma. I can see with my own eyes what they are learning and it feels so good.

Now, lest you begin to think this is a homeschool blog . . . here are a couple of new sales promotions which have been emailed to me:

Eastbay.com sell shoes in all sizes, including a large variety of wide widths. They are having a Back-to-School Sale and have two new promotional codes available:

• Use Code LKS1JG80 for 10% off of $80 or more. (Exp. 9/2/05)
  
• Use Code LKS12131 for $20 off $125. (Exp. 9/2/05)
  

This is different! If you have any little girls into dolls this would make a cute birthday or Christmas gift. These BBW paper dolls are colorful and cute. Plus I firmly believe it is a benefit if you can, when possible, introduce real body size images to kids instead of a constant flow of Barbie doll thinness. Check this out.

Bear Creek Paperworks: Plus Size Paper Dolls

If you are the creative type something similar to this could be an excellent do-it-yourself project. A parent could cut out the bodies from stiff cardboard. The kids could make and color the clothing. Or you could start off with the set of paper dolls available here at Bear Creek Paperworks and move from there to creating more clothing on your own.

I searched the web high and low for a freebie site to print your own for something like this and could find nothing. There are many sites for regular size paper dolls. If anyone is aware of a free print-your-own site online please let me know and I will add an update to this post.

Have fun,
Amy